Comandante Ramona, former Zapatista leader and women’s rights activist, died of kidney disease on January 6. The Tzotzil Mayan woman was believed to be around 47 years old; however, like all Zapatista leaders, her real age and name were never revealed. Comandante Ramona became internationally known when she was among the first Zapatista leaders to appear in public after the Zapatista’s uprising in January 1994, according to the Associated Press. In a statement issued during his political tour, Subcomandante Marcos, now known as Delegate Zero, said: "The world has lost one of those women it requires. Mexico has lost one of the combative women it needs, and we, we have lost a piece of our heart." Marcos planned to cancel scheduled appearances on the tour to attend her funeral, The Boston Globe reported.
